It’s raining and not looking like stopping anytime soon. So instead of our intended walk we set about ordering a replacement camera. A simple task you might think but technology, remoteness and New Zealand conspired against us.
We had tried to do this yesterday but we needed to speak to the mail order store to check if they could deliver to a post office so we can collect it - and it was Sunday, not open!
Today we turned on the mobile phone to discover we didn't have a signal so we drove on to the tiny remote settlement of Makarora because there must be signal there right? No, but there is a cafe with internet so we could use the Skype phone. Two drinks purchased, quiet table in the corner found so time to connect. Oh, it’s a pay per usage connection. Account created, credit added and connection finally made with Glenn’s phone. Oh, the details of the camera store are in the browsing history of Yvonne’s phone and when we tried to connect it we discovered the account only supports one device at a time. After connecting and disconnecting Glenn’s phone, Yvonne’s phone and the laptop several times we get the phone number, call the guy and arranged for delivery to Haast, the next planned town on our journey.
Whilst sipping his tea and breathing a sigh of relief Glenn checked the details of Haast - just to be sure. There is no post office just a post box. Called the mail order store back and arranged for delivery to Wanaka, where we had left yesterday and which meant we now had to return there. So it was back in the van to return the 40 miles to Wanaka to kill the rest of the day and hope it is a large enough town to be on the next day delivery route.
Before leaving we looked around the cafe and found it is actually a cafe/tourist centre/helicopter and jet boat operater/camp ground and motel. The owners bought a derelict farm many years ago and have spent the time since slowly extending the premises and the business to what it is today. The many newspaper clippings they had on the walls made fascinating reading.
Back in Wanaka the weather started to brighten and Yvonne decided that she would get her hair cut short. As we now had lots of hot water from the drive and we were back near our favourite dump station we took showers in a car park by the lake, grabbed some lunch and headed off around town to hunt down a hairdresser with an appointment for today or tomorrow.
Appointment made we walked back to the van following the millennium trail, a walkway lined with two thousand tiles, one for each year, many with a key historic event from that year. After learning a lot of useful/useless historical facts we found a liquor store to buy plenty of beer and wine so we can have a happy night eating steak and forgetting the woes of the day.
We drove back to our favourite Wanaka freedom camp spot, now third visit, enjoyed the steak and wine and then decided to go on the local walk with views of Lake Wanaka, an enjoyable trek up the hill without sandflies as it was spotting with rain although still warm. It was satisfying to see across the valley the mountain we had climbed on Saturday.
Hope the camera arrives tomorrow or we’ll have to spend another day here!
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| The Amazing Makarora tourist centre |
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| View across lake Wanaka to Roy's Peak (the high point out of the cloud) where we walked the other day. |
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| Lake Wanaka |
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